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Environmental Toxicology

Welcome to our Graduate Program in Environmental Toxicology (ETOX)

The program is interdisciplinary in nature and it is open to graduates in Biology,
Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Earth Sciences
and other areas with the appropriate prerequisites. The goal of this program is to
produce professionals capable of assessing the impact of industrial and rural development
on the environment, and to propose and/or implement changes to improve the environment.

Program Description

The Master of Science in Environmental Toxicology at the University of South Alabama
offers an interdisciplinary curriculum to teach graduate students the biochemical
and physiological processes resulting from the interactions between toxic compounds
and the biosphere.

be up to date concerning current and new legislation and protocols in this area

apply research techniques in different disciplines in science and engineering

Graduates from this program will be able to work in industrial settings in the areas
of Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Health, Environmental Engineering, Environmental
Toxicology, Pharmaceutical industry or to continue their education by pursuing a Ph.D.
degree in Toxicology or related areas. In addition, graduates from the program will
be qualified for jobs requiring MS degrees in their original areas of concentration.
For example, a chemist or a chemical engineer will be better qualified to work in
a chemical or pharmaceutical company if, in addition to his/her background in chemistry
or engineering, the applicant has the training in toxicology to address the environmental
impact of the project.

Program Requirements

A total of 35 credit hours are required for the MS degree in Environmental Toxicology,
including: • 21 credit hours of core courses (see below) • A Research Thesis (6 credit hours) or a Library Research Project (3 credit hours) • The remaining credit hours include courses in specific areas of concentration.

The “Research Thesis” must be completed either at the University of South Alabama
or, upon approval by the Graduate Committee, at a governmental or industrial laboratory
in the area. In our experience, a Research Thesis makes students more competitive
when applying for jobs after graduation and is a must if one plans on pursuing Ph.D.-level
education.

The option of a "Library Research Project" is more appropriate for candidates who
are already working in the field and wish to advance in their careers by obtaining
a Master degree. Students who select the 'Library Research Project' option must take
an extra 3 credit hours of coursework to complete the 35 credit hours in the program.

NOTE: Students who did not have 6 hours of undergraduate Biochemistry must also take
6 hours of graduate Biochemistry as part of the program. The minimum number of hours
for the degree remains at 35.

Comprehensive Qualifying Exam: After submission and approval of the prospectus, students will schedule a comprehensive
qualifying exam. The exam will be oral and will start with a presentation of the
Prospectus and, where applicable, a Progress Report. Students will first be examined
on the prospectus (and progress report), and then on any area of study closely or
broadly related to the student's area of specialization. The student will be graded
by all committee members, following a rubric that looks a various aspects of the presentation
and has three possible scores for each of them: 1 (insufficient), 2 (meets expectations)
and 3 (above expectations). In order to pass the exam, students will have to score
an average of 2 or higher. Students are encouraged to look at the rubric before the
presentation to be aware of the committee's expectations. Students who fail the exam,
will be given a second opportunity.

Comprehensive Qualifying Exam Committee: The comprehensive qualifying exam committee shall consist of at least 2 members of
the thesis committee (excluding the major professor) and one other member of the graduate
faculty to be agreed upon by the thesis committee. The major professor may be present
at the exam but only as an observer. Pass or fail will be determined by majority
vote.

Advisors: Upon acceptance in the program, every student will be assigned an advisor responsible
for tracking the student’s progress. Together the advisor and student will identify
appropriate elective courses to reach the student's goals for the program. The advisor
does not have to be the student's thesis mentor although in some cases the advisor
may fill both roles. Students must meet with the advisor at least once in the semester.
Students in the program will be blocked from registering for new courses until they
have met with their advisors to select the appropriate courses.

Requirements for ETOX Program Admission

BS/BA degree from an accredited four-year institution in one of the following disciplines:
Biochemistry, Biology, Bio-medical Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical or Civil Engineering.
Graduates from other disciplines are encouraged to contact the program director before
submitting an application.

Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Although no minimum numerical GRE score is required
for admission to the program, candidates are expected to perform at the 50th percentile
level nationwide in both Verbal and Quantitative components of the test.

Students must have completed the following undergraduate courses:

Statistics (1 semester)

Calculus (1 semester)

General Biology (1 semester)

Organic Chemistry (2 semesters)

Other prerequisites needed for specific courses within each concentration. It is recommended
(but not required) that students applying to the program also complete 6 credit hours
of undergraduate Biochemistry.Those students who did not take undergraduate Biochemistry will have to include 6
hours of graduate Biochemistry among the required courses to complete the program.This will not change the total number of hours required to complete the program.

The University of South Alabama publishes certain crime statistics each year as required
by the Jeanne Clery Act. This report is required by federal law and contains policy
statements and crime statistics for the school. The policy statements address the
school's policies, procedures and programs concerning safety and security. Three years'
worth of statistics are included for certain types of crimes that were reported to
have occurred on campus, in or on off-campus buildings and property owned or controlled
by the school and on public property immediately adjacent to the campus. This report
is available online at: www.southalabama.edu/departments/police/resources/fireandsafetyreport.pdf.
You may also request a paper copy from the University Police office located at 290
Stadium Blvd.